Anchor for water ski tow rope

Abstract

A rope anchor for use in situations in which frequent attachment and removal of the rope is required. The anchor has a U-shaped bracket which is secured to a support such as the transom of a boat. The bracket has a central finger midway between and parallel to the bracket legs. The portion of the finger adjacent its attachment to the closed end of the bracket is in the same plane as the bracket legs but the inner end of the finger is bent out of this plane at a minor angle. The legs have stops which position the bracket such that the end of the finger is so spaced from the surface of the bracket support as to create a passage for the rope less than the normal diameter of the rope but large enough to permit the rope to be passed through it when the rope has been diametrically squeezed in one direction. This prevents inadvertent release of the rope when it is slack.

We claim: 
     
       1. Anchor means for a rope adapted to be mounted on a support surface, said rope having a loop at one end for attachment to said anchor means, said anchor means having a pair of parallel legs in a first common plane each having a free end and rigidly joined at their other ends by a cross member forming a generally U-shaped body, stop means on each of said legs intermediate its ends; said stop means each having a stop surface facing said free ends, said stop surfaces being arranged in a second common plane and adapted to seat against said support surface; a finger rigidly fixed to said cross member substantially midway between said legs and extending in the same general direction as said legs, said finger having a first portion extending in said first common plane and a second portion inclined at a minor angle to said first common plate; said finger having a free end spaced from said second common plane a distance less than an uncompressed diameter of the rope with which said anchor means is to be used to prevent escape of the rope through a passage defined between the end of said finger and said support surface. 
     
     
       2. A rope anchor means as described in claim 1 wherein when the anchor means is mounted the second common plane of the stop means is coincident with the plane of said support surface. 
     
     
       3. The combination of the rope anchor means as described in claim 2 and the rope, said rope being made of a material permitting limited diametric reduction in one transverse direction due to diametric compression, said rope having said loop on one end which loop passes over one surface of said cross member on each side of said finger, and around a surface of said finger facing away from said one surface of the cross member. 
     
     
       4. The combination described in claim 3 wherein said loop passes entirely around said cross member on each side of said finger and also around the surface of said finger facing away from said one surface of the cross member. 
     
     
       5. The rope anchor means described in claim 2 wherein one or more spacer means are mounted on each of said legs to seat against said stop surfaces of said stop means for adjusting the spacing between the free end of said finger and said support surface to accommodate the use of ropes of different diameters. 
     
     
       6. A rope anchor means as described in claim 1 wherein said stop means are rigidly secured to said legs. 
     
     
       7. A rope anchor means as described in claim 1 wherein elements are provided for moving the stop surfaces of said stop means along said legs to adjust the spacing between said second common plane and said support surface to accommodate ropes of different diameters. 
     
     
       8. A rope anchor means as described in claim 1 wherein the free end of the finger is smoothly rounded. 
     
     
       9. A rope anchor means as described in claim 1 wherein the free ends of said legs are threaded, and nuts are provided on said legs pulling said stop surfaces of said stop means tightly against the support surface on which the anchor means is mounted. 
     
     
       10. Anchor means for securing a rope to the upwardly extending transom of a boat, the rope having a loop at one end for attachment to said anchor means, said anchor means having a pair of parallel legs in a first common plane each having a free end and rigidly joined at their other ends by a cross member forming a generally U-shaped body, stop means on each of said legs intermediate its ends; said stop means each having a stop surface facing said free ends, said stop surfaces being arranged in a second common plane and adapted to seat against a surface of said transom; a finger rigidly fixed to said cross member substantially midway between said legs and extending in the same general direction as said legs, said finger having a first portion extending in the first common plane and a second portion inclined at a minor angle to said first common plane; said finger having a free end spaced from the second common plane a distance less than an uncompressed diameter of the rope with which said anchor is to be used to prevent escape of the rope through a passage defined between the end of said finger and said surface of said transom. 
     
     
       11. Anchor means for securing a rope to the upwardly extending transom of a boat, the rope having a loop at one end for attachment to said anchor means, said anchor means having a pair of parallel legs each having a free end and rigidly joined at their other ends by a cross member forming a generally U-shaped body, stop means on each of said legs intermediate its ends; said stop means each having a stop surface facing said free ends, said stop surfaces being arranged in a common plane and adapted to seat against a surface of said transom; a finger rigidly fixed to said cross member substantially midway between said legs and extending in the same general direction as said legs, said finger having a free end spaced from the common plane of the stop surfaces a distance less than an uncompressed diameter of the rope with which said anchor is to be used to prevent escape of the rope through a passage defined between the end of said finger and said surface of said transom.